Slicing machine



July 26, 1927.

W. H. DONALD SLICING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 fliiarney.

1 1,636,811 y 1927' w. 1-1. DONALD SLICING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I l i I I l 1 2 1 'IIILAJ Invent/Jr B W 9 (44 ham i arizey,

July 1927' w. H. DONALD SLICING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17, 1925 )WF Aiiozvzey.

Patented July 26, 1927.

UNl'TED STATES A 1,636,811 PATENT; OFFICE.

wILLmJra. DONALD, or cmomna'rr, onro, ASSIGNOB or mm :ro .rorm r. I

JAGY AND oNE-rumr 'ro cam. xnoos, BO'IB or cmcmNA'rI, OHIO.

? enome incur-ms.

Application fled September 17, 1925. Serial I o. 58,978.

My invention relates to machines for slicing meats and the like, and its object is to provide an efiicient and convenient machine of that character of simple construction 'which can be manufactured" economically and which is easily maintained in working condition; thereby making such machines available to users to whom the more complicated machines have seemed too expensive. More especial objects are, to permit of ready shifting of the carrier from and to the top or table of the machine, to permit return of the carrier readily to starting position, and preferably, to provide an adequate guard for the cutter and its immediate operating parts, while at the same time permitting ready access to the cutter and these operating parts, as well as the, feeding mechanism of the carrier; preferably eliminating from under the table or within the main frame or casing of the machine all operating mechanism and allowing a thoroughly sanitary construction and arrangement of the machine as a whole. Other objects willappear in the course of the ensuing description.

I attain these objects by the device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general perspective view of the machine, looking from the rear of the starting end of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a partial starting end elevation, parts of the cutter ,being represented as broken away to reveal the cutter operating mechamsm Fig. 3 is a front elevation, parts of the bed or casing being represented as broken away to reveal the carrier-feed release device, which is shown partly in vertical longitudinal section;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional detail of the cutter-driving ratchet device; and

Fig. 5 is a detail of the carrier-driving ratchet device corresponding to that of Fig. 2 but showing the parts in different positions.

The bed 1 is a simple, hollow box-like structure, with open bottom and closed flat top or table 2 upon which the meat or other article is slid from right to left by the carrier 3 which, similar to carriers well known in the art, comprises a lower bar 4 with upright posts 5 and 6 on which the holder 7 slides up and down, having a short hub 8 embracing the front post 5 and a longer 9 embraclng the rear st 6, and having on its top a su1table han le 10 for lifting 1t, to

place the meat or the like between the bar 4v and carrier 3, which have rows of spurs 11 and '12, respectively, for piercing the adjm cent sides of the article and thus gripping it firmly to advance its left end past the left end of the table 2, where there is a fixed cutter bar 13 (Fig. 3) with which the circular cutter 14 coacts to slice portions from the article as the cutter is swung forward and simultaneously'rotated; the article hemg fed in the interval while thecutter 14 is swinging backward; this mode of operation being similar to that of various prior devices, and my present invention residing in the simplified means for accomplishing this operation. I

In my present invention, the cutter 14 is journaled on alever '15, fulcrumed at its lower end on "a short shaft 16 journaled horizontally in' and projecting to the left from a bearing 17 pro ecting rearwardly from the rear lower left hand corner of the bed 1; this lever being fixed to this projection of this shaft. The upper end of this lever 15 is in the form of a handle 18, and on the middle part of the lever is a long hub 19 projecting out from its left side (Fig. 3) which forms the journal bearing for the short shaft 20 of the rotary cutter 14, to which shaft the cutter is fixed. Between the cutter 14 and the lever 15 the sprocket wheel 21 is journaled loosely on this shaft arranged that the shaft 20 and cutter 14 will 20, with a friction ratchet 22 in its hub, so i rotate with the sprocket wheel 21 when the latter is rotated over forwardly,but the cutter and shaft will be free from this sprocket wheel when the latter rotates in'the,

opposite direction. Fixed to the adjacent end of the bed 1 is the support 23, extending up close to the rear limit of travel of the cutter and sprocket wheel as swung with the lever 15; and one end of a sprocket chain 24 is fixed, by a suitable bracket 25, to this support 23. This chain 24 extends under and up around the front of the sprocket wheel 21, meshing therewith, and from the top thereof extends back under and up around a sheave 26; the opposite end of this chain bein fixed to this sheave, which is journaled oosely on a stud 27 projecting from the support 23 but is connected to this stud by a spiral spring 28 contained in the hollow interior of the sheave and wound around the stud 27, with its inner end fixed to the stud and its outer end fixed to the inside of the sheave periphery, in such relation as to yieldingly resist turning of the sheave 26 over rearwardly as the chain 24 is pulled forward and unwound from the sheave, and to rotate the sheave in return direction, winding the chain up on the sheave as the pull on the chain ceases.

Preferably, the support 23 is extended up and forward throughout the area swept by the cutter 14, to the left of the cutter, with a flange 29 projected to the right throughout its bottom, rear, top and forward edges; thus forming a guard around the cutter, lessening the danger of accidental cutting of the operator or others. The rear and front ends 30 and 31 of the flange 29, respectively, form the means for attaching this support or guard 23 to the bed 1; and preferably, a short leg 32 extends down from the flange 29'some distance back from the bed 1, thus further stabilizing the machine.

The short shaft 16 on which the lever 15 is fixed as before mentioned, projects to the right from its bearing 17, and has the clutch collar 33 fixed on it against the right side of the bearing; this collar 33 and the hub of the lever 15 limiting end play of the parts. The right end of this collar 33 has the axially projecting teeth 34 with which the clutch sleeve 35 meshes its teeth 36 as it embraces the shaft 16 and slides to the left thereon. This sleeve 35 also embraces and forms a bearing for the left end part of the extension shaft 37, which has its right end part j ournaled in a bearing 38 projected from the rear lower right hand corner of the bed 1, with a collar 39 fixed on it to bear against the left side of the bearing 38. This shaft 37 projects to the right from the hearing 38, and has fixed on its projection the head 40, which is cylindrical except that on its right end there is a cylindrical recess concentric with the shaft 37, and a segmental recess 41 opening up from this concentric recess out through the periphery of the head. The arm 42 has its lower end fulcrumed loosely on the shaft 37 within the concentric recess of the head and projects up through the segmental recess 41 and carries on its upper end the segmental rack 43.

The carrier 3, before mentioned, has at the rear edge of the table 2, the hubs 44 and 45; the former being directly at the rear end of the part of the carrier that overlies the table as before described, and the latter hub 45 being onthe right end of an arm 46 that extends to the right from the hub 44 along the rear edge of the table. These hubs 44 and 45 embrace the feed screw 47 which is journaled parallel with the rear edge. of the table, at its left and right ends respectively, in bearings 48 and 49 proectlng rearwardly and upwardly from the rear upper corners of the bed 1. This screw 47 has, preferably, a square thread as shown,

of high pitch, and the interiors of the hubs 44 and 45 are threaded accordingly, to mesh with the screw 47; the direction of the thread being right hand, as shown, so that a rotation of the shaft or screw 47 over forwardly causes the carrier 3 to travel to the left, in feeding direction. A collar 50, fixed on this screw 47 against the left side of the right hand bearing 49, limits right hand end play of the screw, which also is reduced where it extends through this bearing; its reduced part extending out to the right of the bearing and having loosely mounted on it the cylindrical casing 51 with its left end closed and provided on its exterior,

next to the bearing 49, with a plurality of depressions 52 in a series concentric with the screw 47 any one of which may be en- .tered by the detent pin 53 pressed to the right by a spring 54, in a socket formed in the bearing projection 49. Thus the casing 51 may be held in any one of several rotative adjustments around the screw 47, indicated by a pointer 51' and graduations 51".

Within this casing 51 the ratchet wheel 55 is fixed on the reduced projected end part of the screw 47, with its teeth engageable for rotation of the screw 47 over forwardly, by a pawl-56 pivoted near its midlength on an upward projection of the pawl carrier 57, which is loosely mounted on the screw end part just to the right of the ratchet wheel 55. The forward end partof the pawl 56 engages the ratchet teeth when the rearward end thereof is pressed radially outward by a spring 58 compressed thereby in a socket in the perimetral edge of the pawl carrier 57. The upper segment of the interior of the casing 51 is of reduced diameter; so that when the pawl 56 is in that part of the casing its rear end is held radially inward and its front end is held out away from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 55, engagement with the latter not being permitted until the rear end of the pawl passes forward and downward into the part of the casing interior that is of greater diameter. The lower part of the pawl carrier 57 is in the form of a segment gear, concentric with the screw 47 and meshing with the segmental rack 43 of the arm 42. A handle crank 59 is fixed on the terminal part of the screw 47, and this limits displacement of the pawl carrier along the crew end part. A thin cover 60 is fixed on the otherwise open right side of the casing 51, this being omitted in Fig. 2, to reveal the parts inside the casing 51.

The sleeve 35 which receives the left end of the shaft 37 as before described, has

longitudinal slots 61 in which is a pin 62 projecting radially from the shaft 7 so thatthe sleeve may slide on the shaft, but the shaft must turn'with the sleeve. Also, this sleeve 35 has the exterior annular groove 63 near its right end, in which engages the fork 64 forming the lower end part of a lever 65 fulcrumed on a bolt 66 in the rear side of the bed 1 and having an arm 67 extending up with its upper end within the path of the right hand hub 45 of the carrier 3, in such position that left hand travel of the carrier, after engagement of the hub 45 with the lever arm 67, swings the lower end of fork 64 to the right, which carries with it the sleeve 35, unmeshing its teeth 36 from the teeth 34 of the collar 33. A spring 68, stretched from the fork 64 to the bearing 17. yieldin'gly holds the fork to the left, maintaining the clutching engagement of the teeth 36 and 34 except when overcome by the just described action of the carrier through the lever 65.

pemtz'0n.-.-A piece of meat, or other an ticle, to be sliced, being gripped between the carrier 3 and its holder 7 as'before described, with the carrier and bolder drawn over to the right (Fig. 3) through action of the screw 47 turned backward by the crank 59, and the cutter 14 being swung back with the lever 15 in the position shown in the drawings, the lever 15 is pulled forward by the operator grasping the handle 18. The lower end of the sprocket chain 24 being fixed, the sprocket wheel 21 swung forward with the lever 15 unwinds the chain from the sheave 26, turning the latter over backward against the pressure of the sheave spring 28. In this action on the chain, the sprocket wheel 21 is compelled, by its meshin'g with the chain, to roll along the chain and thus be rotated over forwardly. This, through the action of the friction ratchet 22, causes the circular cutter 14 to be rotated .over forwardly; and as the sprocket wheel 21 is small in proportion to its travel along the. chain, a comparatively slow, easy and natural pull by the operator on the lever 15 re sults ina rapid rotation of the cutter 14 and, due to the large diameter of the cutter relative to that of the sprocket wheel, a high peripheral velocity of the cutter. The periphery being sharply beveled to the left. presenting a straight, or preferably slightly concave, side to the cutter bar 13, over which projects a portion of the meat or the like, this simultaneous forward travel and forward and downward rotation of the front part of the cutter 14 effectively severs or slices the projected portion of the article from that portion held on the table 2 by the carrier 3.

During a large proportion of this forward swing of the lever 15, turning the short shaft 16 and therewith, by means of the meshed clutch elements 33 and 35, the extension. shaft 37, the head on this shaft 37 'does not swing the lever or arm 42 with teeth of the pawl carrier 57, swings the lat 7 ter backward around the screw 47. This carries the pawl 56 back along the teeth of the ratchet wheel into the smaller part of the casing 51, wherethe pawl is held away from the ratchet wheel in the manner previously described.

The forward swin of the cutter bein completed, and the slice completely severe the lever 15 now is pushed back by the operator. The spring 28 in the sheave 26 now causes the sheave 26 to wind u the chain 24, which tends to sl acken as t e sprocket wheel meshing therewith travels backward with the lever 15; this winding up taking up the slack in the chain as fast as it occurs. This action causes reverse rotation of the sprocket wheel 21; but as the friction ratchet 22, as before mentioned, releases upon this reverse rotation, the cutter 14 is not reversed in rotation, but owing to its momentum, continues to rotate forwardly during its rearward travel, only slightly losing its speed, so that at the beginning of the next forward or cutting stroke it still is rotating rapidly when it again is driven in forward direction by the sprocket wheel acting through the friction ratchet 22.

During this backward swing of the lever 15, which rotates the shafts 16 and 37 backward, the arm 42 is not swung forward until the front end of the recess 41 of the head 40 engages it, near the rear end of the swing. Then this arm 42 swings the pawl carrier 57 forward around the screw 47,-carrying the pawl 56 forward alon the teeth of the ratchet wheel 55, out o mesh therewith as long) as the rear end of the pawl is held down y the smaller interior part of the casing 51.- But as soon as this rear end of the pawl passes forward into the part of the casing 51 of greater diameter, the pawl spring 58 acts to engage the pawl with a ratchet tooth and during the remainder of the forward travel of the pawl the ratchet wheel 55, and with it the screw 3 to the left, which thus advances the nextportion of the meat or other carried article These actions are -repeated at each for-1.

lift} 47, is rotated over forwardly. This rotation of the screw 47, acting through the hubs or nuts 44 and 45, feeds the carrier- 1 $11 past the cutter bar 13, ready to be severed at, the next forward travel of the cutter 14.

slight portion of the rearward return stroke.

By adjusting the casing 51 around forwardly, the front end of its smaller interior diameter is advanced so that the release of the pawl 56 into mesh with the ratchet wheel 55 is delayed. Consequently, the pawl is allowed to turn the screw 47 for a shorter time, and the feed of the carrier 3 by the screw is less;resulting in thinner slices. Thus, by adjusting the casing 51 around forwardly or backwardly, thinner or tilt hubs 44 and 45, which constitute a hinge by which the carrier 3 may be swung upward and backward, off the table ,2, with its lower side fully accessible. Thus all of these parts may be thoroughlycleaned in such a convenient manner that there will be no tendency to neglect keeping the machine in sanitary condition. This sanitation also is facilitated by the entire absence of mechanism from under the table, and the consethicker slices may be produced'as may be quent elimination of all necessity for slots desired.

When the carrier 3 has reached the left end of the table 2, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the hub 45 of the carrier will act through the lever to unmesh the clutch elements 35 and 33 as before decribed, with the result that, although the operator may continue to oscillate the arm 15 and operate the cutter 14, the extension shaft 37 and the feed mechanism connected thereto at the right end of the machine no longer will be operated. Thus jamming of the feed parts of the machine, such as otherwise might be caused by the operator overlooking the approach of the carrier to the end of its travel, is prevented. The meat'or the like usually is gripped some distance away from its right hand or following end, at first; and when the carrier thus has completed one travel, it may be run back to grip the article nearer the right hand end. This method may be followed until the last small portion only of the article remains in the carrier 3, amounting to no more than a rather thick slice; whereupon this portion is removed ready for a new piece of the meat or other article, to receive which the carrier is run back as far as may be required. In any of these cases, the carrier may be run back by simply turning the crank 59 over backward while the driving lever 15 is swung forward far enough to hold the pawl 56 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 55; or, if this return of the carrier be from its extreme left hand position, while the clutch elements 35 and 33 are unmeshed, a slight swing of the arm 42 forwardly will unmesh the pawl; in either case it being necessary only to carry the pawl from the larger to the smaller interior diameter of the casing 51 to release it for backward rotation of the screw and resetting of the carrier.

Dragging of the meat or the like across the table 2 of course soils the latter, as well as results in soiling the under side of the carrier 3 next to the table top, in addition to such accumulation as occurs on the top and the spurs of the carrier and on its holder. I provide for the most ready access to all parts of the table top as well as to the lower or other openings therethrough, so that there is little opportunity for scraps or the like to fall into the lowerlparts of the machine, and if they do, they may readily be cleaned therefrom because of the entlrely open construction of these lower parts. In practice, I prefer to finish all of the exposed surfaces of the machine, other than the feed screw 47 and like operating parts, in enamel or the like, thus further contributing to the ease of sanitation. The simplicity of the structure is most favorable to this finish,

consisting as it does of only two majorpieces, the bed 1 and the support 23, the latter including the guard elements around the cutter. Also, as will be understood, the simplicity of the machine throughout makes it very economical to produce; and also reduces the labor of maintenance, which is a very important consideration in machines such as this which are used in places where the facilities and the skill for repairs-and adjustments are not readily available.

In some cases it may be desirable to omit the guard extensions of the support 23, depending upon the wishes of the users who may consider the danger of accident not warranting the apparent obstruction at the delivery area. However, it will be, seen that the guard extension is limited to an area well above that in which the slice falls away from the cutter; so that this is not an actual objection. This, as well as other details of my inventiommay be optional; and

therefore, while I have explicitly described a certain constructionas the best embodiment of my invention, ll do not wish to be understood as being limited to such description, but what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a slicing machine, a support, a cutting member mounted onsaid support for movements in alternate directions, a carrier movable on said support, a screw operatively ill engaging said carrier, an arm swung inal ternate directions incident to the movements of said cutting member, and a ratchet geared to said arm and operatively connecting said arm to said screw, whereby said screw is turned in one direction only, to

move said carrier in one direction, incident to swinging of said arm in alternate directions.

2. In a slicing machine, a support, a cutting member mounted on said support for movements in alternate directions, a carrier movable on said support, a screw operatively engaging said carrier, an arm swung in alternate directions incident only to initial and terminal stages of the respective movements of said cutting member, and a ratchet operatively connecting said arm to said screw, whereby said screw is turned in one direction only, to move said carrier in one direc tion, incident to swinging of said arm in alternate directions.

3. In a slicing machine, a support, a cutting member'mounted on said support for movements in alternate directions, a carrier movable on said support, a screw operatively engaging said carrier, an arm swung in alternate directions incident to the movements of said cutting member, a ratchet operatively connecting said arm to said screw, whereby said screw is turned in one direction only, to move said carrier in one direction, incident to swinging of said arm in alternate directions, an adjusting means preventing action of said ratchet during a portion of the swinging of said arm, to vary the movement on said carrier.

4. In a slicing machine, a support, a cutting member mounted on said support for movements in alternate directions, a carrier movable on said support, means swung incident to the movements of said cutting member and operatively connected to said carrier to move said carrier toward said cutting member, and means whereby said carrier prevents swinging of said means as-said carrier approaches said cutting member.

5. In a slicing machine, a bed, a feed ele- 3 ment' lying along one side of said bed, and a carrler engaging said feed element to be fed along over said bed, said carrier being free or to be swung up away from said-bed on said feed element.

6. In a slicing machine, a support, alined shafts, journaled in said support, a cutting member fixed to one of said shafts for oscillation, a carrier, means connected to the second one of said shafts and operatively related to said carrier, to feed said carrier toward said cutting member incident to oscillation of this second shaft, a clutch engaging to connect said shafts for oscillation together, and means whereby .said carrier disengages said clutch upon approach of said carrier to said cutting member.

7. In a slicing machine, a support, a shaft journaled in said support, a cutting member connected to said shaft for oscillation, a carrier, an arm oscillated with said shaft, a screw threaded to said carrier, a ratchet wheel with which said screw turns, a, pawl, and a carrier for said pawl geared to said arm.

8. In a slicing machine, a support, a cutting member mounted on said support for movements in alternate directions, a carrier, a screw threaded to said carrier, a ratchet wheel with which said screw turns, a pawl, a carrier for said pawl operatively connected with the cutting member to swing said pawl into engagement with said ratchet wheel incident to a movement of said cutting member, a casing adjustable around said ratchet wheel and pawl, having interior surfaces at various distances from said ratchet wheel, and means whereby one of said surfaces nearer to said ratchet wheel holds said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet wheel.

WILLIAM H.- DONALD. 

